Opposition Leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye Leading in Senegal Presidential Election

Opposition leader Bassirou Diomaye Faye is currently in the lead in Senegal‘s presidential election, as reported by local media. While several candidates have acknowledged his lead, official results are yet to be formally announced.

Millions of Senegalese citizens peacefully participated in the voting process on Sunday after enduring three years of unrest and opposition protests against the incumbent president, Macky Sall.

Despite the reports of Faye’s lead, the ruling coalition’s candidate, Amadou Ba, has not conceded defeat and anticipates a potential run-off vote if no candidate secures over 50% of the votes.

Bassirou Diomaye Faye, a key figure in the Pastef party led by Ousmane Sonko, had spent time in detention until just 10 days before the election. His candidacy comes after Sonko, initially slated to run, was disqualified on disputed grounds.

Initial tallies indicated that Faye had garnered a significant portion of the votes, sparking jubilant celebrations among his supporters in the capital city of Dakar. Several opposition candidates, including Anta Babacar Ngom, have recognized Faye’s apparent victory.

The official results released by local media are based on partial counts from individual polling stations, with the complete tally expected by Tuesday. Faye’s alliance with Sonko and their joint campaign under ‘Diomaye is Sonko’ has garnered substantial support.

While the incumbent President Macky Sall did not seek re-election, his chosen successor, Amadou Ba, has not conceded and expressed confidence in a potential run-off based on their preliminary analysis of the results.

The election, initially scheduled for last month but delayed by Sall, saw a large voter turnout with approximately 7.3 million registered voters in the country of around 18 million inhabitants.

Faye’s candidacy has received notable backing from various political figures, including former President Abdoulaye Wade and the Senegalese Democratic Party, lending further credence to his position in the race.